


Ghost River U

by sagwalli



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Basketball Player Nicole Haught, Cheerleader Waverly Earp, College, F/F, Falling In Love, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Teen Angst, University, Wayhaught - Freeform, Wynonna is Wynonna
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-03-25 12:13:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13834062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagwalli/pseuds/sagwalli
Summary: Wayhaught reimagined on a college campus, starting with their first glance. Nicole and Waverly, despite developing a mutual attraction, each face obstacles, from old flames to personal struggles, in pursuing love with one another. Canon characters alongside new characters to fill in. This is definitely a slow burn story, so please be patient! :)





	1. Nicole Arrives

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like the story :) Give me feedback, leave comments, and don't be afraid to send prompts! 
> 
> Tumblr: sagwalli

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole arrives on campus.

"Ouch!" Nicole yelped. She rubbed the side of her head before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Careful there, sweetheart," chuckled Doc. He kept one hand on the wheel and another hanging out the window while waggling eyebrows in the rearview mirror.

"Eyes on the road there," warned Nicole. Her head ached from banging against the car window. It ached considerably for what seemed to be one bang, making her wonder exactly how many head-bangs it had taken to wake her up.

Doc eased the steering wheel to the left, passing through an intersection. Nicole's eyes flicked forward.

"Holy..." she breathed.

The campus was beautiful. Large brick building upon building upon building came into view. A couple modern buildings failed to miss Nicole's eye, and she gaped at the architecture. Glass panels lined the side of one building, allowing sunlight to filter straight through one face of the building and straight through the other. Towering over a large grassy area was a ginormous rhododendron tree, beautiful reddish pink blossoms strewing the ground. Countless students walked among the paths, suitcases and duffles in tow, wandering around to find their dorm. Other students, only a select few, had already settled and lay in the grass, laughing and talking.

Doc pulled into the parking garage, blocking off Nicole's view of the idyllic-looking campus.

"Thanks for the ride, Doc," Nicole said, grabbing her bags from the trunk. "I know you'd rather have had Wynonna in the car, too, but you managed to put up with me."

"Easy to, with you resting as easy as a lamb," smiled Doc. He retrieved his own luggage before slamming the trunk shut and locking the car. "Nice thing about being a returning student is bringing a car."

"Nice thing about being a new student is just being here." Nicole mumbled some incoherent, still wrapping her mind around the picture-perfect university she was to attend.

Doc wheeled his suitcase towards the parking garage's exit. "You coming?"

"Yeah! Uh... yeah! Of course!" Nicole shook herself from her dazed state, following Doc to check in.

She was so ready for college.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give feedback, leave comments, and send prompts! Don't be afraid to reach out, and thank you for reading my story! Excited for Wayhaught!
> 
> Get ready for Waverly in the next chapter!


	2. Waverly Arrives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly arrives on campus.

Waverly let out a sigh in the form of a lip-trill. The car ride had been long and loud so far, with Wynonna yelling, or as Wynonna claimed, "singing," along with the radio.

"Come on, Waverly," Wynonna complained. "Would you lighten up already?"

"Sorry, 'Nonna," Waverly said. "You know I'm itching to get out of the car."

Wynonna scratched her chin before taking a sip out of the suspicious tumbler that was supposed to contain coffee. One hand on the wheel, Wynonna belted out another line of the P!nk song.

"Party _cra_ sher, panty _sna_ tcher," hollered Wynonna, slightly off-key.

Waverly had to admit, that while she loved her dear sister, and found her singing to be quite endearing at times, this time was not one of them. Waverly leaned over to turn off the radio station.

"Why so serious - Hey!" Wynonna protested, shoving away Waverly's hand before pressing the button to turn back on the radio. To Wynonna's credit, she did turn down the volume. "Are you sure you're alright? You love school! Shouldn't you be excited to see the campus? I heard it's beautiful, something you should appreciate, and Champ said he'd meet us when we arrived. If you aren't excited to see the campus, which you strangely aren't, apparently, then you should be excited to see your boyfriend, shouldn't you? He's an ass, alright, but he's your boyfriend no less. Speaking of which, if he lays a hand on you that you don't want, you tell me, okay? Wynonna will take care of it!" Wynonna gave Waverly a reassured look before clicking her tongue and making a finger gun.

Waverly managed a small smile at Wynonna's behavior.

Wynonna clapped the wheel. "There's the million dollar smile, baby girl! Try it more often, huh? Purgatory's perfect small town girl can't tarnish her reputation, but you'll manage it if you start greeting everyone with a frown."

Waverly kept relatively quiet for the remainder of the ride, letting the older Earp indulge in the radio.

Everything was so complicated, or at least, felt complicated. She couldn't even explain half of it. She just felt it. In her bones. In her heart.

Waverly grabbed the collar of her shirt on the left hand side, by her collarbone, shifting it uneasily. She did love school, Wynonna wasn't wrong. Learning was just so interesting and full of new things! But, there were other things to think about, including Champ, the boy she "loved" so dearly.

There would be time to think about it later.

"Here!" Wynonna slammed a foot on the brake, jolting both her and Waverly forward. Waverly jumped a bit in her seat, hightailing it out of the car before any further damage could be done.

Waverly very quickly grabbed her things and headed for check-in. Wynonna followed, lugging a large suitcase and holding a flask in her right hand.

"Want some, baby girl?" Wynonna offered Waverly the flask.

Waverly looked scandalized. "Wynonna!"

"What?"

"We are on a college campus. I repeat, _college_ campus. And if that wasn't enough, do you ever think about the legal drinking age?"

"Right, baby sis hasn't hit twenty-one yet!" Wynonna gulped down some more of whatever concoction filled the flask this time. Probably included some strong vodka.

Waverly rolled her eyes, smiling, and the two walked through the campus. Among the large crowds of new and returning students, Waverly didn't recognize any faces. Her face dropped a little bit. She'd hoped for a few familiar faces, just to remind her of home.

Home.

Waverly shook those thoughts out of her mind. Ghost Triangle University was her home now. She'd make it her home.

The Earp sisters passed an enormous rhododendron tree sporting massive pink and red blossoms. Waverly stared in awe at the beautiful flowers. The tree towered over a large green, filled with students making themselves comfortable. Waverly let go of her luggage, leaving her bags on the path. She traced a finger across the bark of the tree.

"Waves! Doc's already arrived, and we promised we'd meet up with him, remember? He's brought along Haught, since I drove with you, so let's hurry up!" Wynonna furiously waved Waverly over.

"Haught?" Waverly was confused. Who was that again?

"Flaming red-haired girl? Criminology major? She's a sophomore, only a year older than you, and only a year younger than me 'n John Henry. And Dolls. Dolls. Where's Dolls at? I better check." Wynonna tapped her phone a few times. "Come on, baby girl. It's time to go!"

Waverly let her hands linger on the tree bark for a few more seconds before following the older Earp.

 _Fingers crossed for a good year_ , Waverly prayed in her head. _Fingers crossed_.


	3. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Nicole meet for the first time, brought together by Wynonna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAYHAUGHT FOREVER

"Doc!" Wynonna exclaimed.

"Wynonna, darlin'," came the voice of Doc Henry, who spread his outstretched hands in a welcoming gesture. "What a sight for sore eyes."

Glancing at Wynonna, Waverly gauged whether the older Earp was going to speak, before giving a little wave and saying, "Hey there, Doc."

"Waverly," said Doc, tipping his hat in her direction. He leaned against the handle of his dark brown leather suitcase, breathing deeply out his nose. "It really is good to see you two."

Waverly was about to say something in response when Wynonna hollered, "Red!"

Wynonna dashed off towards a slender girl with short, wavy red hair. The redhead was bent over, gathering her things. She turned around at the sound of Wynonna's voice before being barreled over.

"Ah!" The redhead tumbled to the ground, Wynonna attached to her at the hip. "Glad to... see you too... W-Wynonna." The girl gasped and groaned before prying herself out of Wynonna's grip. As the red-haired girl stood, she brushed off her pants, a few strands of dried grass falling on top of a light blue duffle bag.

"Did you miss me, Haught?" Wynonna clapped the girl on the back. Haught bowed slightly at the unexpected thump, another breath escaping her.

"More like you missed me," Haught replied after a second.

Wynonna chuckled. "Sure, Haught."

The brash sister turned back towards Doc and Waverly, calling, "Hey, Waves, baby girl, come meet Nicole."

Waverly, the outgoing social butterfly she normally was, did not hesitate to follow Wynonna's command.

Waverly had heard many things about Nicole, so it was strange to finally meet her in person. Wynonna never brought Nicole home, instead preferring to spend time with Haught out on the town. Nicole seemed a lot prettier in person.

Nicole Haught offered her hand, lips turned up at one corner into a small smile. Waverly sensed Nicole's natural charisma the second she saw that little smile. She could only imagine how much more alluring Nicole got once she smiled in full, flashing a set of shiny white teeth, catching all onlookers in a web of inescapable charm...

And combined with that hair? Oh, man, the hair! Nicole's hair was a colorful bright red and reflected a few of the sun's rays, creating a light sheen. Waverly was sure that the smile-hair combo was a surefire shot to any normal person's composure. Nicole's hair stopped around the base of her neck, neatly trimmed and perfectly wavy with a side part on the left side of her head. A few pieces of hair had strayed from the rest, falling across her face in a way that seemed unintentional but looked as fitting as if it was thought out, strand by strand.

The hand presented itself again.

"H-hi," Waverly stuttered, quickly shaking Nicole's hand and cursing in her head. She had been so busy in her thought tangent about Nicole's effortless magnetism that in making a first impression, she had faltered.

"Hey," Nicole said easily. Her smile widened at Waverly initiating conversation, and Waverly caught a glimpse of those picture-perfect teeth. "Waverly, is it?"

"Um, yeah," Waverly blurted, still hung up in confusion over her previous blunder. She was unused to being tentative and unsure in conversation. Not even with boys did her voice fail her. It hadn't even failed when she was in the beginning stages of her relationship with Champ, the most hesitant and uncertain she'd ever been in her life.

Up until this point.

Waverly hadn't even spoken a full sentence to Haught and was already overanalyzing the girl, getting distracted by her conclusions.

"Waverly," said Nicole, saying the name slowly. "Pretty name for a pretty girl."

Cheeks turning red from her first words to Nicole, Waverly nodded dumbly at the mention of her name, skipping over the compliment entirely, before realizing what Nicole had said.

"Oh... Th-thanks. I like your name, too, Nicole... Haught." Waverly tried a charismatic smile of her own, wiping her previous unsteady responses from her mind and failing in the process. This was off to a rough start.

Nicole smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, most people do," she said without thinking, "I mean, thank you." Nicole mentally kicked herself. "Most people like the joke aspect of it."

"Joke?" Waverly innocently asked, a confused expression passing over her face.

Nicole mentally kicked herself again. "Ah, sorry, I thought you were talking about the puns you can make with my name."

"Puns? Oh!" Waverly's face lit up with understanding. "Haught... as in... 'hot.'" Waverly gestured towards the sun.

Nicole's smile turned apologetic and her face felt warm with embarrassment. She'd assumed Waverly was another person making a bland pun, and instead, had come off accusatory and sensitive.

Waverly's brows crinkled cutely. "I can't believe I didn't make that connection." Waverly let out a light-hearted laugh.

Nicole couldn't help but laugh too. "You've got to be the first. A pun is usually the first thing I'm told."

"Glad to be the exception."

"Honestly? Me too."

Nicole narrowed her eyes quickly in contemplation, scolding herself. Her response left much to be desired. And to be interpreted.

 _Me too?_ Waverly thought. _What am I supposed to say to that? Me too, as in glad someone finally didn't crack a joke? Glad that I am the one to not have made a joke? What?_ Waverly had confused herself with her own thoughts. _Her head was in a tizzy._

She decided to laugh it off.

Nicole laughed along and said, "I better get my bag to my room." She picked up the light blue duffle that sat on the ground. "It's been nice speaking with you, Waverly Earp. See you around."

"Leaving so soon, Haught?" Wynonna had migrated over to Doc, an arm slung over his shoulders, but still noticed the redhead trying to sneak off.

"Sorry, Wynonna, but I still have things to put away. I need to clean up and organize before classes start." The excuse sounded lamer in real life than it had in Nicole's head.

"Okay," Wynonna conceded, after giving the slender girl a long and dubious look. "Just make sure you don't make any bad choices while you're out picking up girls."

"Wyn-" Nicole started to protest but thought better of it and clamped her mouth shut. Wynonna smirked, turning her attention back to Doc and diving straight back into whatever conversation they'd been having.

Nicole glanced at Waverly, maintaining eye contact for a moment too long, before leaving with one last wave goodbye.

Nicole exited too quickly for Waverly's liking.

_Was I really that awful? I didn't say bye... or anything, for that matter. She left so quick, _Waverly thought worriedly. _Nicole left to put things away. Should I do the same? Getting organized does sound like the smart thing to do._ __

____

Waverly looked to Wynonna, who was chattering away with John Henry. After deciding Wynonna could do without her, Waverly gathered her things and headed for the dorm, still flustered over a certain red-haired girl.

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep sending feedback!


	4. And They Were Roommates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly come face-to-face again in the dorms, almost right after a not-so-smooth first impression conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that title was a vine reference... sorry

Nicole plopped the last of her things on the floor and climbed onto her bed. The bed raisers lifted her bed another five inches or so, making getting into bed more difficult but more enjoyable. Nicole finished the climb and huffed, pulling her pillow close. She closed her eyes, ready to take a nap. She snored slightly, forgetting about her strange encounter with Wynonna's sister, before hearing a knock at the door. Nicole wiped some spit that had begun dribbling down her chin.

"I'm coming in," the hesitant voice called. The voice sounded familiar to Nicole, but she couldn't place it.

Nicole closed her eyes again. She heard a kick and a gasp of surprise but ignored it, instead choosing to roll over and drift into a state of semi-consciousness. Jeez, what was up with this girl?

"Oh, I... I guess should be more considerate," Nicole's roommate said to herself. Nicole agreed silently, trying to fall asleep. There was some scuffling as the new roommate rearranged her things, dragging some heavy items into the room that swished across the carpet. The swishing lulled Nicole almost over the edge between being awake and being asleep when she heard a loud thud followed by something toppling over. Nicole gritted her teeth and tried to ignore it.

"Where'd that...? Oh, there," the very clumsy roommate muttered.

_Clang!_

Nicole felt her body jerk up with the impact as the something hit the bottom of her bed. Wide awake, Nicole furiously whipped around, coming face-to-face with...

"Waverly?" Nicole felt the fury subside and be replaced with confusion. "What are you doing here?"

Waverly, slightly terrified at the sudden awakening of the otherwise comatose redhead, was grateful to see the angry expression disappear. She bent down to pick up the necklace she'd dropped before replying.

"I'm your roommate," Waverly said slowly, in case Nicole hadn't entirely calmed down. _Damn, that face is intense. I'd hate to get on her bad side. Does she even have a bad side?_ Waverly quickly looked Nicole up and down.

 _Did she just check me out?_ Nicole raised an eyebrow.

Waverly rubbed her chin, deep in thought. _I guess she doesn't have a bad side... Am I still staring at her?_

 _Is... Is she looking at my butt?_ Nicole raised an eyebrow. What was Waverly playing at?

Nicole cleared her throat, making Waverly flinch. Waverly looked Nicole in the eyes, staring straight through her. Or at least, that's how Nicole felt. A wave of apprehension rolled through Nicole, undulating and crushing her social skills and leaving behind fine grains of awkwardness sand. She was not at all sure how to proceed. Her roommate was unconventional, to say the least.

Nicole mustered up her courage and pushed any wavering concerns to the side. "So," Nicole began.

"S-so," Waverly quickly said back, pulling her gaze from where it wandered by Nicole's feet. _Why was I looking at her feet? Oh, lord. She was about to speak, wasn't she? Did she notice me looking?_

"Are you an early bird or a night owl?"

 _Whew. Don't think she noticed._ "Nighttime, daytime, both work for me." Waverly twiddled her thumbs.

"Uh, yeah, same," Nicole said. _That ended quickly. What now?_ "I'm... going to go find Wynonna. Care to join?" _Why did I ask? What if she comes with? Awkward alert, Nicole, awkward! Oh, my god, even that sounded awkward. Why am I like this?_

"Oh," said Waverly, averting her eyes. _Is she trying to get away from me? Am I creeping her out? Maybe she_ did _notice me looking earlier... I better leave her alone for a bit._ "I think I'll stay here and -" Waverly's eyes snapped to a toppled box. "- finish unpacking!" Waverly spoke with a little too much enthusiasm as she lifted the box up. "Best to be organized before school starts."

Waverly mentally kicked herself and held her breath. _I am an idiot._

"That makes sense," Nicole noted. _She seems so tense. Time to go._ "I guess I'll see you around."

Nicole made her exit, and Waverly exhaled.

"That was rough," muttered Waverly.

And it was only going to get rougher from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh, Waverly all flustered, and Nicole all confused. I'm trying to give you guys both perspectives, so you can see what's going on in their heads. I hope you like it!


	5. Mixed Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole clears her head after the awkward encounter with new roommate Waverly in their dorm room. Waverly wanders campus to clear her own head, mixed emotions taking over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter provides a little background and is just to establish their relationship more. They've pretty much just met, and things are still awkward. I can't wait to write more!

Nicole found herself at the basketball gym after wandering for what felt like hours. She looked at her watch.

It'd been twenty minutes.

 _Only thirty minutes?_ Nicole groaned. _How much longer until I can go back to the dorm? I don't want to go back too soon... That Waverly girl sure is something._

The basketball left Nicole's hands and swished into the basket. The net caught on itself, hanging not so neatly from the rim. Swish! Another drained basket straightened the net out. As the basketball touched her fingertips again, Nicole sprinted towards the basket from the three-point line and jumped up for a nice layup. As soon as the ball dropped out of the net, Nicole grabbed the rebound and put another shot up. After several shots from varying distances, Nicole's chest heaved, and her breath became heavy.

 _I'm a bit out of shape, I guess,_ Nicole thought. _Good thing I have a couple months before the season._

Another clean shot scored an imaginary three points. Nicole left her hands suspended in the air, her follow-through looking impeccable as her left hand pointed at the basket. In another twenty minutes, Nicole found her legs wobbling under her weight. She made her way over to a water fountain by the bleachers. As water touched her tongue, she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been very thirsty. Nicole sat in the stands, looking around the gym. A crimson strip lined with gold ran across the gym's perimeter. A giant knight's helmet was painted above the strip behind one of the basketball hoops. The helmet was silvery gray, outlined in crimson red, representing the school's mascot: Crimson Knights. Ghost River Knights just didn't have the same ring, and the school colors included crimson anyway. Crimson Knights was what everyone knew. She closed her eyes, imagining the crowd that would be coming to games. She thought of the cheers that accompanied made baskets, and the cheer _leaders_ who accompanied games. Though boys' basketball held priority over the girls' team, a common thing among sports teams, cheerleaders did not fail to show up at a few games here or there. _Those_ were the games that Nicole loved best. Of course, Nicole loved the sport, but it sure didn't hurt to have a few pretty girls on the sideline, yelling your name.

_Nicole! N-I-C-O-L-E, Nicole! Point guard, point guard, point guard, Nicole!_

Okay, maybe real cheers didn't sound like that, but that's all Nicole could fathom in the moment. Real cheerleaders were definitely more creative.

Nicole picked up the ball, which had trailed towards a set of double doors that led to a hallway. She dribbled the ball in between her legs, back and forth, before driving towards the basket for a layup. Basketball really helped clear her head.

\--

Waverly lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. _Did I really scare her that badly?_ Waverly shivered. _I sure hope I didn't._ She swung her legs over the side of the bed and jumped off. She paced the length of the room. _I should clear my head._

Waverly walked down the hallway of the dorm and descended two flights of stairs. As she headed out of the building, she breathed in the fresh air. The large expanse of grass before her smelled freshly cut. A few birds chirped from above. It was nice out.

The stone path forked ahead. Waverly decided to go left. She kept walking, seeing students hustle around campus, searching for dorms and class buildings. Speaking of class buildings, Waverly made a mental note to go find her classrooms so that she wouldn't be _that_ clueless freshman. She didn't want to be late on the first day of classes. She didn't know whether she could handle the embarrassment. She'd probably die on the spot.

A large building loomed over Waverly. It was relatively modern. Inside the dark brick exterior was a clean-cut interior. Glass panes let light splash onto the white walls, brightening the hallway. Trophy cases lined the walls. Waverly peered into one trophy case.

"Holy Grail Invitational," Waverly read. "Champions." The year etched into the trophy base was only last year, when Waverly was a high school senior. "Impressive," Waverly said to herself, turning to continue walking down the hallway. She eventually, after some turns, arrived outside a set of double doors. She heard a ball hit the ground. She peered inside the small glass windows on the doors. Waverly caught a glimpse of red hair.

_Oh, my god._

The redhead dribbled the ball towards the basket. Waverly watched as Nicole made four baskets in a row.

_She's pretty good. Is she on the team? She'd be a damn good addition to the team. I think..._

Waverly lost herself in her thoughts as a dull thud hit the door that she crouched behind. Nicole sat in the bleachers, closing her eyes.

_She looks so peaceful. I wonder what she's thinking about..._

Waverly kept her eye level just over the bottom of the window, barely visible to anyone in the gym. She watched Nicole, whose peaceful expression, complimented by a smile at the corner of the mouth, was hypnotizing. Waverly's eyes fell down to Nicole's toned biceps. The shoulder definition that Nicole had was impressive. Hell, muscle definition like that in girls at all was impressive. Waverly squeezed her own shoulder. Damn. How'd Nicole manage that?

_Hard, long hours in the gym, I bet. Days and months of work._

Nicole's arms flexed slightly as she opened her eyes and pushed off the bleachers. Waverly's eyes remained fixed on Nicole's muscles. Waverly muttered several things under her breath about working out and the difficult of building muscle when she realized Nicole was getting closer. Waverly's cheeks colored, and she dropped to the ground. She hadn't been caught staring, but she might as well have. Waverly waited a solid few seconds before peeking into the gym. Nicole walked away from the door, dribbling a ball that she picked up from somewhere. Waverly didn't know.

Waverly lifted a hand to her cheek, and her hand warmed. On the verge of breaking into a sweat, Waverly stood up and quickly made her exit, watching Nicole shoot one last basket.

Waverly burst through the bathroom door, grabbing some paper towels and wetting them in the sink. She pressed the cool towels to her face, the heat subsiding. She looked at the mirror. Rosy cheeks and a splotchy complexion greeted her. Waverly sighed and pressed the paper towels to her face again. Waverly heard the bathroom door open and kept her head down. A few tentative footsteps echoed before rescinding back into the hallway. Before they left, Waverly glanced up to see Nicole. Waverly quickly lowered her head. Why'd Nicole leave? Scared her again? Waverly really hoped they'd become good friends. Roommates in the movies always became best friends, right? What kind of small town sweetheart would Waverly be if she couldn't win over one roommate? A real bad one, she supposed. Waverly tapped her chin, and she resolved to make friends with the distant redhead.


	6. A Slippery Slope in the Showers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole's cuffed right now (sorry!) and Waverly is still very determined to make nice. After all, who can resist Purgatory's resident sweetheart?

The hot water soothed Nicole's aching muscles. Nicole moaned as she moved an arm. Yesterday's workout was catching up. Nicole didn't remember being so out of shape, but at the same time, the sore muscles could maybe be chalked up to the extra hour and a half of lifting she'd done on top of basketball practice.

Nicole dried off her hair and stepped out of the shower. She wrapped one towel around her body and held the second in her hand rather than bundling up her hair in a towel cocoon. Nicole took a step towards the bathroom door before realizing that the toiletry bag in one hand and towel in the other was hampering her exit. She bent down and plopped her toiletry bag on the floor. She was about to prop open the door with one limp flipflop when the door seemed to open on its own. 

"Oh, my god!" 

"Oof!" Nicole flinched back as the door smacked into her side. 

"I am so, so sorry," Waverly dropped to her knees, eyes wide, apologizing profusely and grabbing hold of a falling Nicole. 

Waverly could not hide her surprise when her cute, athletic roommate rushed to cover her unmentionables, towel failing to provide adequate coverage. Waverly seized up, shocked that the encounter with her roommate had already gone so wrong.

 _Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit,_ _shit._ Waverly's resolution wavered.

"It's... fine." Nicole got to her feet, groaning with the effort. An enormous knot in her thigh tightened and her leg gave out. Waverly's arms shot out to catch her.

"Are-are you sure?" Waverly helped Nicole up again, arms outstretched as if bracing for the impact of Nicole falling into her again. Waverly's panicked eyes stayed glued to Nicole.

"Um," Nicole's eyebrows furrowed quickly, unsure how to calm the distressed brunette before her. Waverly seemed frozen like a deer in headlights.

"I'm really sorry," Waverly said again. "I'll... I'll get out of your hair." Waverly pushed past Nicole, brushing against her scantily clad body.

Nicole's face heated up at the contact.  _That is_ very _close. Oh, god._

"Hey, you're good," Nicole placed a hand on Waverly's arm. "Relax, Waverly. It's just a bump."

"Bump?  _Just_ a bump?" Waverly's incredulous tone grew in volume. "I  _hit_ you with a  _door_ , Nicole! A freaking _door_!" Waverly gestured wildly at the door for emphasis.

 _Wav-er-ly._ What _are you doing?_ Waverly could see her hands waving all over in front of Nicole's face but couldn't stop. It was like she was watching her body act on its own.

Nicole raised her eyebrows. _She is really freaking out. She's freaking out so much I don't even think_  I  _have the time to freak out. Also, is she wearing perfume?_

"Waverly, it's okay. I'm serious. Mistakes happen and while we really need to stop meeting in awkward situations like this." Nicole chuckled at how ridiculous each of their meetings had been so far. She couldn't believe that the brunette seemed to bring something different every time they met. She also couldn't believe this conversation had to happen while she was in a towel and very much wanted to go change as soon as possible. It was getting increasingly difficult to keep herself covered. "We're going to be stuck with each other for a whole school year so might as well stop making it weird."

"Could be a good weird," Waverly smiled and shrugged her shoulders. 

"That's more like it," Nicole declared, hiding her nerves.  _Boy, is it getting breezy down there._  "I know that we didn't get the best start, but at least we aren't on bad terms, right? Or, are we?" Nicole stared a little more intently than Waverly could handle. 

Waverly stuttered, "Y-yeah, we are on good terms." _Damn, her stare is, well, intense. And those eyes are pretty. Preeeetty._

"If we've cleared things up a bit, then I think I need to go put some clothes on." Nicole's smile put Waverly at ease.

Waverly moved aside to give Nicole the right of way. 

"And hey, don't worry yourself with what I think of you, alright? It's nothing you should concern yourself with. My impression of you seems pretty damn good so far, even if you don't think it is." Nicole gave Waverly one last cheeky smile before disappearing into the hallway.

Waverly waved even after Nicole's bright hair left her view. 

"Damn good, huh?" Waverly's smile reached from ear to ear. "Friendship seems to be on the agenda and things are going according to plan."

* * *

 "Oh, my god," Nicole said to herself, hurrying down the hallway. She felt naked even though her modesty was covered by a piece of white rag. "Did I really say that to her? 'It's nothing you should concern yourself with.' Oh, god. And to say my impression of her 'seems pretty damn good?' Just... Christ."

Nicole knew what she said would be certainly charming to some, but she wasn't trying to charm anybody at the moment. Plus, did Waverly even swing that way? God, this was difficult. She probably came off clumsy and dumb. Well, maybe not as clumsy as bubbly Waverly bumbling into the showers but still clumsy. 

Nicole was sure that while a friendship was sure to blossom, it was not going to come without its dips and bumps. When Nicole reached her dorm, she realized she forgot her toiletries bag in the bathroom. She'd have to retrieve it later.

Nicole sat on her bed and picked up her phone. Immediately, her phone began vibrating. 

"Shae," Nicole breathed into the microphone. "Hey."

"Hey, babe."

Nicole could practically see Shae's warm and charming pearly whites through the phone.

"How are things? Are you coming yet?" Nicole rapidly fired question after question.

"Whoa, whoa," Shae chuckled on the other end. "One at a time, Nicole."

"Yeah, sorry, Shae," Nicole took a deep breath. "What's up?"

"Glad you asked, because I am actually going to be on campus within the hour."

"Seriously?" Nicole could barely contain her excitement. "Do you want help settling in?"

"That'd be great, Nicole," said Shae. "I'll text you when I arrive. I just wanted to let you know that I'll see you soon. Since I have you on the phone, what are you doing right now?"

"I just took a shower and," Nicole smiled coyly, "I still haven't dressed."

"Oh, I see." Shae sounded pleased. "Are you in a towel?"

"I'd love to say no, but my roommate could walk in at any moment, and I'd rather not flash her. It's already been a rough start."

"How come? Did you flash her once already?" Shae teased.

Nicole snorted. "Ha, ha. No, but I will say it has never been so hard to make a friend. Maybe we just don't mesh well."

"You're cute, Nicole, and you're a charmer. You won't have trouble making friends. You certainly didn't have trouble charming me."

"You caught me first, Shae," Nicole twirled a strand of damp hair. 

"But you caught me the rest of the way," reminded Shae. "You got this roommate thing in the bag, Nicky. You'll have a great year and a great new friend."

"You always know what to say."

"You make it worth it." 

"You're a cheeseball, but I love it." Nicole moved to pull on some clothes, holding her phone in between her ear and her shoulder.

Nicole could hear someone keying into the room.

"And I love you." Shae's voice was gentle.

Nicole glanced up to see Waverly who, being the nice girl she was, had quietly settled on her side of the room, careful not to disturb Nicole's phone call.

"Yeah, b-" Nicole looked at Waverly again, "-babe. Love you too."

Nicole ended the call and flopped back onto the bed before realizing she was only half-dressed. She hastened to yank a top over her exposed skin, but her bra was visible for a quick second. 

Of course, Waverly snuck a peek at Nicole.  _It's those arms again. They flex even when she's just putting on a shirt... And that bra is really, really nice. I think I have a bra like that. Do I have a bra like that? We can match!_  

Nicole turned on the blow dryer and her wet hair went from a dark, damp red to a flaming red.

Waverly unlocked her laptop and looked at her new roommate. She took a deep breath before saying. "Hey, want to watch something on Netflix?"

Nicole switched off the hairdryer and looked at Waverly. "You know what? Yeah, yeah that'd be cool."

"What do you want to watch?"

"Do you know the show _Everything Sucks_?" Nicole didn't finish drying her hair, which Waverly noticed.

_Score! She dropped drying her hair to come watch Netflix. She's coming to my bed. Oh, she's coming to my bed._

Waverly quickly straightened out her covers as Nicole climbed onto the bed. 

"Yes! I've heard so many good things about it, but I haven't started it yet." 

"Well, then let's start it now." Nicole grinned and put a pillow behind her back. She adjusted the blankets as she moved closer to Waverly. "Pilot episode, Waves."

_She called me "Waves." She called me a nickname! And she scooted closer! Yes, yes, triple yes!_

"You got it, Nicky," Waverly couldn't stop the nickname coming out of her mouth.  _Oh, no._

Nicole froze for a brief second that would have gone unnoticed by anyone who wasn't being as attentive as Waverly. 

 _Oh, no._ _Just no,_ Waverly thought.  _Was it the nickname? I think it was the nickname. Okay, noted. No nickname. No Nicky, just... Waves. Waves. I like that._

"Pressing play," Waverly said, clicking the laptop. She stretched her legs out and made sure Nicole could see the screen.

"You know, I really love how..." Nicole started commentating on the show, beginning with its raw portrayal of high school. 

And Waverly could not have imagined a better turn out for the budding friendship.


	7. First Week of School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first week of school. How's our favorite ship doing?

Waverly walked down the brick path to her next class. It'd been a somewhat easy week, with it being the first week of classes and all, but Waverly dreaded the upcoming days. She dreaded the piles of homework and the numerous projects and the incessant lectures. She dreaded them, but she also looked forward to them. A studious girl, Waverly Earp worked hard for good grades. She enjoyed academic work, but at the same time, tended to stress out, turning her enjoyment into dread. It was a strange mix, almost paradoxical, but that was just the Earp way. A little strange, maybe a bit odd, but always contrasting. Waverly, being as smart and self-aware as she tries to be, knew that about herself. She knew that her love for studying and learning new things while also dreading the same was pulling herself in two directions, but she liked to think that it wasn't a big deal and that her other two-sided ways weren't as much strange as they were interesting. A girl who enjoys the beach but hates to swim? How mild. 

Water was wonderful. Fun, even. Splashing around? Great. Dipping the toes in? Also great. But swimming? Actual, long-term swimming? Waverly had no time for that, nor did she care to make time for it. She was reluctant to swim with friends, if ever, but it wasn't entirely off the table.

Waverly took her seat in the lecture hall. Professor Robert Simons, known by most as Shorty, sat behind a desk. A laidback professor, Simons spoke candidly and had a daily beer to go along with each day's work. He was Waverly's favorite professor so far. Waverly had always loved history, and she hoped to maybe teach elementary school history. While she knew that a college classroom like the one she was sitting in would suit the neverending expanse of her curious mind far better, she also knew that she liked kids. Kids are the future. Everybody says so, and it really is true. Waverly thought that as a person, it was her job to help prepare the next generation. It's everybody's job. However, some people are better suited to the task than others. Waverly loved helping people, so why not combine teaching kids with teaching her favorite subject. The idea of being a mentor and shaping lives made Waverly gush. She could go on and on daydreaming about her future job, teaching the future's kids about the past. 

Being the Waverly that she was, Waverly was about fifteen minutes early. She adjusted herself in her seat, fidgeting. Her laptop was out and on, a Google document pulled up. She checked her folders. She had already made a folder for the class, of course, with all documents marked by the date and filed by topics. Though it was only the first week, one can never be too organized. She knew it would pay off later. It also made it easier when she drifted off, typing thorough notes but failing to understand them. She couldn't help it. She usually could concentrate very well, but she was also easily distracted. Waverly huffed. Waverly for sure was studious and could comb over readings for hours, but when something would bug Waverly, it would really  _bug_ Waverly, and something definitely had started to bug Waverly.

Waverly's eyes skimmed the room and settled on the door. Luckily, the door that most entered through was at the side of the large room rather than in the back. Well, lucky for Waverly. It made her life ten times easier by allowing her to face forward while trying to keep an eye on the door. Imagine the horrific position Waverly would need to be in to watch a door in the back while sitting in a seat meant to face the front. Awful.

Waverly tapped a pencil on the edge of the small desk that could be pushed and folded back into the armrest to her right. Pencils sure were fun.

"Hey," Nicole said, cutely smiling before walking straight past Waverly's row to sit a couple rows forward. Waverly's reply received vague acknowledgment as Nicole sat down next to the beautiful Shae Pressman. 

Shae, a pre-med student, was so incredibly smart. Waverly actually didn't really know anything about her except for that she was Nicole's girlfriend and was pre-med, which automatically meant she was smart in Waverly's eyes. Nicole, being the intelligent person she was, would obviously be with someone just as smart or smarter, and only smart people can get into college medical programs, anyway. Those things are cutthroat.

Nicole and Shae both were taking Simons's history course to fill out credits. Of course, they had chosen the course together, to be together, and to learn together. Side by side. Two rows down from Waverly.

Waverly had been severely hoping that she and Nicole would become good friends since they were roommates, and they were connected through Wynonna. However, like most lovebirds, Nicole spent the bulk of her free time with her significant other. Waverly wasn't one to put a dampener on someone's mood on purpose, and she sure as hell didn't want to whine to Nicole about something that wasn't any of Waverly's business. How much time Nicole spent with Shae was Nicole's business and Nicole's business only.

Even so, how come Shae had to be in the same classes, too? All Waverly wanted was to get to know Nicole. She wanted them to be friends, but it was just so hard with Shae there, 24/7. 

Waverly tapped away at her keyboard. She watched as Shae leaned over to whisper in Nicole's pretty ears. How could ears be that pretty? Waverly wanted to know. She subconsciously tugged on her own ear, rubbing it in between two fingers as she watched Nicole stifle as laugh. Professor Simons was talking, and no matter how lovey-dovey the Haught-Pressman couple was, they were polite people, who at least tried to be courteous as much as possible. _Haught Press_ , Waverly thought to herself. All the gossiping she was doing with herself made for some Haught Press. She shared, somewhat, in the laugh that Nicole stifled, laughing to herself about Haught Press. The awful pun of a nickname made Waverly feel a little better in being slighted by Nicole for her girlfriend. Waverly couldn't even really blame Nicole, so the nickname was all she could revel in at the moment.

Professor Simons closed some PowerPoint he had been presenting and dismissed the class while taking a swig of Bud Light. He put his cowboy hat, a slick black Stetson, back on his head. Waverly packed up her laptop, eyes trained on her roommate, who began getting up at the same time as Shae. As the two made their way to the aisle, Waverly slung her bag over her shoulder, following suit a couple rows higher.

Shae kissed Nicole's cheek, a hand resting on Nicole's shoulder even after the kiss, mouthing some words that Waverly couldn't read. Not that she was trying to read lips, anyway. Nicole said something back and Shae smiled before leaving Nicole behind.

 _Behind!_ The observation snapped Waverly to life as she made a break for Nicole. 

"H-Hey," said Waverly, only slightly out of breath. "Heading back to the dorm?"

Nicole checked her watch. "I might go check the downtown area for a bit. It's Friday after all, and it's still early for dinner."

The great thing about college was no stupid hours like high school, toiling away at a desk as if already working a 9-to-4 desk job, which, actually, would have better hours than 7-to-3 high school hours.

"Mind if I come with?" Waverly jumped at the chance to finally make get closer with Nicole. A week of waiting really was so excruciating. However, a week of going without seeing Champ, her ex-boyfriend, was amazing. The dump truck of a boy-man amazingly made it into the same college, of course not enrolling in the honors college. Waverly was very sure that money had made Champ's transition so much smoother.

"Sure thing," Nicole replied, looking a little surprised that Waverly offered. She was, in fact, surprised, thinking that Waverly would be off doing... Well, Nicole didn't actually know what Waverly usually did, but Nicole thought that there definitely be something. "It'll be nice to have some company."

Waverly smiled a signature bubbly smile. "Great! I'll follow your lead."

"Don't have much of a lead." Nicole tapped her chin. "Are you up for a little bit of lost wandering?"

"Up for anything," Waverly answered almost immediately. Nicole took a step forward, but Waverly did not move back. 

"Let's make a move on, then, shall we?" Nicole said exaggeratedly, swinging her arms to coax Waverly towards the door.

"We shall," declared Waverly, speeding past Nicole and out the door.

Nicole chuckled to herself, "We shall," before jogging to catch up to her energetic roommate.


End file.
